Owners have filed 41 complaints on the RAM 4500, covering 2013–2024. The system named most often is Engine (9 reports). Worst years by volume: 2018, 2015, 2014; cleanest: 2016, 2024, 2013. 3 reports describe a crash, 3 a fire. On average the car was 3.6 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on RAM 4500
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 41 4500 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 9 Read
The contact owned a 2011 ram 4500. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it caught on fire while sitting in his work parking lot. Due to the proximity to the fire, the vehicle parked in front of his vehicle also caught fire. A bystander had called the fire department who then arrived to the scene to…
At only 15000 miles and 6 months of life, my truck is leaking oil/fuel from the cp4 fuel pump. The oil/diesel is leaking on the engine block and other nearby hot components which I assume could be a fire hazard or a fuel system disaster failure. The system is leaking all the time while engine is working
Ist time, approx. 29,000 miles, with no warning, vehicle ran poorly, rough and died. Stranded on side of road for 4 hours until a tow truck came. Diagnosed as high pressure fuel pump failure. Second time, approx 39,000 miles, same issue of stalling, except this time I was stuck in the middle of the desert with 114…
Service Brakes 9 Read
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message to "Check ABS" was displayed with an abnormal…
The contact owns a 2018 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…
Nov 27,2024 Manufacturer Recall NumberC4B NHTSA Recall Number24V-896 Recall Status Recall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Still no repair for defective parts. Over years
Power Train 7 Read
The ambulance was driving down the highway when they felt a vibration then heard a loud noise. The cab filled with smoke and they lost steering, brakes and the engine shut off. Engine then caught on fire. After the fire was put out, found that the transfer case was in pieces. Found engine harness damage, both…
I was driving my truck and when i came to a stop and tried to put it in reverse, I did not have reverse. After several attempts of moving the gear lever there was a loud clunk, then I had reverse. Then when I then put it into drive it would not move. The vehicle has 35,500 miles. Dealer believes its the K1 snap ring…
The Aisin transmission lost 1-4 forward gears while towing a trailer. The vehicle would not go forward only would move in reverse. We were going through a weigh station at time of failure in Florida, while our home base is in Michigan. There are many failures with this part. It is the K-1 clutch pack fails then…
Steering 4 Read
The contact owned a 2024 Ram 4500. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle hit the expansion joints and wobbled. The contact stated that the vehicle then experienced the Death Wobble and unintendedly pulled to the left, causing the contact to lose control of the steering wheel while driving on a curvy…
I purchased my 2015 ram 4500 new, within the first 3000 miles the front tires were showing uneven wear, by 50,000 miles the uneven wear was sever. I replaced front tires and had a front-end alignment performed. Within approx. 3000 miles again, the front tires were wearing unevenly. At approx. 117,000 the ABS service…
At only 4 months since vehicle is purchased, fuel pump is leaking. (potential fire hazard) also had experienced death wobble several times when going more than 60 mph. Steering issue, potential hazard
Suspension 2 Read
The contact owns a 2017 RAM 4500. The contact stated while towing 3 vehicles and driving 60 mph, when the front of the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued driving but began to change to the right lane when he heard a loud abnormal noise coming…
The contact owns a 2013 dodge ram 4500.the contact stated while the vehicle was being serviced, an independent mechanic noticed that the rear brake calibers were stuck to the suspension. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was…
Fuel System 2 Read
The contact owns a 2020 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) and 22V035000 (Visibility) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
The contact owns a 2019 Ram 4500. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V398000 (Wheel) and 21V880000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair.…
Electrical System 2 Read
I am with a state DOT and we have experienced transmission water intrusion into a transmission bulkhead connector on two trucks with a third unconfirmed. The models affected are from the 2014 and 2015 model years for the ram 4500 and 5500. This bulkhead connector is located near front wheel splash and it is not…
Heater will work when it wants to I have changed blower and resistor still kicks off for no reason
Wheels 1 Read
Right rear wheel studs sheered off and the wheels fell off at highway speeds. It appears recall Y26 has listed this issue. One of the wheels rolled off the highway into a Tesla dealership and hit two new cars
4500 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Steering,power Train | 1 | — | |
| 2022 | Power Train | — | — | |
| 2020 | Fuel System, Diesel,visibility | — | — | |
| 2019 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2018 | Power Train,wheels | — | — | |
| 2017 | Power Train | 1 | — | |
| 2016 | Structure | — | — | |
| 2015 | Electrical System | 1 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Electrical System | — | 1 | |
| 2013 | Engine | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 40 |
| Average complaints per series | 1 |
| Worst single series | 2 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 3.6 years |
A model average of 1 hides a worst series at 2. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the 4500?
By complaint volume, 2018, 2015, 2014 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which 4500 years are the cleanest?
2016, 2024, 2013 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the RAM 4500 have?
41 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2013–2024. Of those, 3 describe a crash and 3 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.